Actress Alanda Spence taps into her personal experience being raised by a homosexual father in the military to play a controversial character in ABC’s hit show, “What Would You Do?”
The Auburn native takes on a controversial role depicting a lesbian soldier on the ABC News Primetime show set to air 9 p.m. Friday (KOMO 4).
In an episode inspired by the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”, the series uses hidden cameras to capture positive and negative behavior of bystanders toward the ethical dilemma involving Spence’s character.
Spence, raised in Auburn, owns the stoic military disposition yet harnesses the vulnerability of homosexuality.
“I didn’t have to go far for research,” Spence said jokingly. “I just called home.”
Spence called her father, a homosexual man and retired military officer.
From the age of 6, Spence grew up marching in Pride Parades on Seattle’s Capital Hill, but also shopping at the McChord Air Force Base Exchange. As a young girl, she never knew the two worlds delicately balanced by her father were not suppose to collide.
“I am happy that (the repeal) will take away the official discrimination against homosexuals serving in the military. But it doesn’t alleviate the unofficial discrimination,” Spence said during an on-camera interview.
Always eager to support the gay community, Spence jumped at the opportunity to take on this role despite positioning herself for public scrutiny.
“If homosexuals feel so moved as to fight for their country, their families and our freedom, we should all be so lucky,” Spence said to the show’s host, John Quiñones.
For more about this episode visit the ABC website.
About Alanda Spence
Spence received her training at New York University. Since completing her degree in fine arts, she has been seen acting in regional theatres, film, television, and featured modeling in various magazines. Spence recently completed production on “La Soledad”, a short film that will mark her debut as a producer.
Favorite credits include: “The Boring Life of Jacqueline” (HBO.com), “One Life to Live” (ABC), “The Color of Justice” (Nat’l Tour), and O Magazine. For more on Spence’s work, visit: www.alandaspence.com.
